Coca-Cola's New Bottle Cap Designs Encourage Immediate Upcycling

Already ranked number 43 of the 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, Coca Cola has been working relentlessly to improve their image in the realm of recycling plastic bottles. While one could argue that doing away with plastic bottles would be the end-all solution, the fact of the matter is that plastic bottles aren’t going away anytime soon.

The next best option? Create bottle cap designs that encourage users to reuse their bottles as functional objects with minimal effort or tinkering.

For their ‘2ndLives‘ campaign, the number one soda manufacturer in the world wants to encourage their customers to keep their bottles out of the trash…by turning them into squirt guns and other usable products.

Currently only available in Thailand and Vietnam, the 40,000 bottle caps that have been distributed thus far allow the iconic plastic bottles to be repurposed into everything from spray bottles and squirt guns to hand weights and rattle toys. In total, there are 16 different caps that when screwed on to one or two used bottles create an entirely different product through upcycling.

No word yet on when the caps might make their way over to the USA and Europe, but if the beta phase goes well in Thailand and Vietnam, expect to be seeing a lot more repurposed plastic bottles in the near future.

Simon is a Brooklyn-based industrial designer and Managing Editor of EVD Media. When he finds the time to design, his focus is on helping startups develop branding and design solutions to realize their product design vision. In addition to his work at Nike and various other clients, he is the main reason anything gets done at EvD Media. He once wrestled an Alaskan alligator buzzard to the ground with his bare hands… to rescue Josh.